Bad Day for the X Prizers - Two Rockets Totally Destroyed

Mad Grad Student · 2004-08-09 18:07:44

Yesterday was obviously not a good day for two of the X Prize teams. STC and Armadillo both had their demonstration rockets destroyed in their respective crashes.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l … m.html]STC Article

Apparently, STC's rocket is their full, real X Prize vehicle. The team planned to fly it up to a few thousand feet during an initial shakedown run, but that got derailed a few seconds into the flight when one of the two engines shut down. Since they're solids, the second one couldn't be turned off, and they had no choice but to hit the detonate button. Here are a few pictures:

Everything's going great:

Uh-oh:

At least it was the dummy and not me :

The rocket is now a pile of debris scattered along the beach and at the bottom of Puget Sound.

Meanwhile, Armadillo didn't have much luck of their own. After a perfect (tethered) hover test on tuesday of a subscale rocket, they planned to take it up to 1,000 feet yesterday in the rocket's first boosted flight. Well, it did break their previous record of 141 feet, but the engine was throttling rough and used too much fuel. Once it hit 600 AGL it ran out of peroxide. Had the rocket used a parachute to land this wouldn't be a problem, but it's designed to land under power a la DC-X, so as you might deduce a 1,000 pound rocket running out of fuel 600 feet off the ground with no way to get back down becomes quite a problem.

http://armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armad … 2]Armaillo Update

You can scrounge the article to find some still pics of the "event," as well as some of the more successful tuesday test. For some reason, they take forever to load, though. There's a nice video of what happened for those that enjoy big, fast machines blowing up (And who doesn't? :;): ).
48]http://media.armadilloaerospace.com/2004_08_08/48InchCrash.mpg]48'' Crash

For some reason, I don't feel as disappointed about these crashes as it feels like I should. Up untill now, it's seemed like every development in the X Prize was success after success, it gave the whole competition an air of ameteurism, like these rockets are just huge toys. Now, with real flight failures happening, there's been a wakeup call that this is serious business. These aren't toys, these are real, spaceworthy rockets blowing up before our eyes, and really leaving the planet. Ain't that cool?

It also lightens the mood to know that it will only take Armadillo about five weeks to make a new version of the rocket that crashed yesterday, and most of that time is just waiting for parts to arrive. They'll be back in action before you know it.

Rxke · 2004-08-09 19:26:35

Boy, did you see the pics with the STC guy, he looked totally devastated, and interviews didn't sound real good, too...

'bout the Armadillo test...

Am i the only one who sees this as a success? The launch went perfect, watch the video! I'm sure they got it right, it was identical to the previous flight, with the smaller one....

They ran out of propellant, because of the pre-heating, and that wouldn't have happened if those stupid regulations hadn't dictaded them to use a ridiculously low max load of propellant :rant: :rant: :rant:

OK, so they were really stupid to launch with too little propellant to do a safe poowered landing, of course, but that's hindsight-talk...

Mad Grad Student · 2004-08-10 21:33:58

Actually, in an odd sense these crashes might be very good things for both STC and Armadillo. Before the crash, barely anyone had even heard of STC, now they're getting much more attention and possible funding. Hey, with a little money you can turn a big explosion into a big, high-flying rocket, and with the attention they're recieving they just might have that money.

It will take Armadillo about five weeks (John Carmack's estimate) to make a new 48'' rocket, but despite the setback their crash could end up being a very good thing for them. They now have a conclusive, real world demonstration of what their full-size vehicle would do in a crash, sputter around and land on its side a few feet away from where it launched. That might convince the regulators that their rocket is safe enough to fly without killing everyone around it. According to Carmack, the FAA cares less about the saftey of the guy in the rocket than that of those around the rocket, and this test shows that those around it would be fairly safe.

SpaceNut · 2004-08-12 06:30:47

Some good news may be coming out of the destruction of the rubicon.

Forks: National publicity brings acclaim -- and possibly investors' bucks -- to rocketeers building a new Rubicon
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/sited … tml/170414

"The result: A slew of investors have e-mailed the cash-strapped company, saying they are interested in making an investment in the partners' dream of developing space tourism."

Mundaka · 2004-08-12 22:42:10

SpaceNut · 2004-08-13 05:49:46

Cash for one is the reason for use of a solid rocket motor. Second is the knowledge of super cold tank construction for Lox/ LH2 probably would have put them way over there heads and budget. Third Engine availability for alternative fuels of Kerosene or say a mono propellant and the high cost as well.
I am sure there were other factors as well.

Solids can be made safer but yes there is always the danger of explosions with them.

SpaceNut · 2004-08-13 07:37:12

X-prize contestant still in the hunt for the 10 million.

Canadian Arrow Drop Test Scheduled for Saturday
http://www.canadianarrow.com/

http://www.hobbyspace.com/AAdmin....04.html

New Mars Forums

Announcement

#1 2004-08-09 18:07:44

Re: Bad Day for the X Prizers - Two Rockets Totally Destroyed

#2 2004-08-09 19:26:35

Re: Bad Day for the X Prizers - Two Rockets Totally Destroyed

#3 2004-08-10 21:33:58

Re: Bad Day for the X Prizers - Two Rockets Totally Destroyed

#4 2004-08-12 06:30:47

Re: Bad Day for the X Prizers - Two Rockets Totally Destroyed

#5 2004-08-12 22:42:10

Re: Bad Day for the X Prizers - Two Rockets Totally Destroyed

#6 2004-08-13 05:49:46

Re: Bad Day for the X Prizers - Two Rockets Totally Destroyed

#7 2004-08-13 07:37:12

Re: Bad Day for the X Prizers - Two Rockets Totally Destroyed

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